Bridge



Dec. 7, 1948. G. VAN-EPS 2,455,452

BRIDGE Filed June 29, 1946 15K 14 Z; Z3 Z1 2 2 l2 '1 ,6 L l i I 11 3o 1 24 2 I 26 3 A 20 r 22/ INVENTOR, 5 George Vim E 05,-

' ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 7, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRIDGE George Van Eps, North Hollywood, Calif.

Application June 29, 1946, Serial No. 680,382

Claims.

The present invention relates to a bridge construction of the type which is used for stringed instruments. Specifically, the invention relates to a bridge for use with bass violins.

It has heretofore been customary for the violinist to be provided with two bass violins, one for use while practicing and one for use when performing before an audience. The reason is that a low height bridge lowers the strings of the bass violin and permits easy fingering without undue fatigue, whereas a high bridge raises the strings and renders playing more difficult and tiring.

Certain musical compositions require a plucking of the strings, and such plucking requires a high bridge; whereas lowering the bridge results in a softer tone from the bass violin. It is a known fact, however, that whether the bridge be high or low in a bass violin the pitch is not noticeably affected.

An object of the invention is to provide a bridge which is adjustable as to height and which permits easy playing of the bass violin under varying conditions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bridge which is easily adjusted as to height above the deck of the bass violin whereby the string action may be adjusted to the players desired.

A further object is to provide a bridge which is sturdy and rigid and at the same time adjustable as to height.

Another object is the provision of a bridge for use on a bass violin which does not mute the tone of the instrument.

A further object is the provision of a bridge so constructed and arranged as to be adjustable in height and in which novel indexing means is provided whereby the instrumentalist may, by use of said indexing means, readily adjust the bridge as to height to secure a given tension on the strings. With reference to this last object, it may be mentioned that every violin responds best to a certain height of bridge, and the present invention with its novel indexing means allows a desired height adjustment of the bridge.

Further objects include a bridge which is inexpensive in cost to manufacture, and which is generally superior to bridges now known to the inventor.

With the above mentioned and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel and useful provision, formation, construction, association and relative arrangement of parts, members and features, all as shown in a certain embodiment in the accompanying drawing, described generally, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of the improved bridge;

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2--2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of a bass violin incorporating the invention.

Referring now with particularity to the drawings, I have shown in Figure 3 a bass violin i incorporating the improved bridge 2, and over which the strings 3 are passed, the said strings being attached to pegs on the neck 4 of the violin and to a tail piece 5 on the body of the instrument.

The bridge 2 enables the instrumentalist to raise or lower the strings as desired without appreciably changing the pitch, and in such a manner as to maintain perfect string action at all times regardless of humidity or temperature of surrounding atmosphere.

The bridge 2 is usually formed of wood and is provided with a curved edge 8 having spaced transverse grooves 1 within which are received strings 3. As a rule such a bridge rests upon deck 8 of the violin. In the present instance I separate the bridge from the deck and provide feet 9 and I0 which engage the deck with elevating means designated generally as H interposed between the base I 2 of the bridge and said feet. The bridge in the present instance does not deviate in form materially from that of the standard bridge now used on bass violins, in that it is provided with a transversely cutaway portion [3 of ornamental appearance, while the sides of the bridge are given a scroll-like surface at M and I5, terminating in the portions l6 and I! which are usually integrally formed with the feet 9 and Hi.

While not shown in the drawing, an end elevation of the bridge reveals that the side walls thereof taper from the base portion upwardly toward the grooves. This construction, however, is standard practice.

The deck 8 of the bass violin has a convex surface, as shown in Figure 1, and the bottoms l8 and IQ of the feet 9 and :0 correspond in contour to the deck.

The elevating means H includes a shaft 20 formed with an annular shoulder or flange it at some point along the length of the shaft, and the shaft is threaded on one side of said flange, as shown at 22, while that portion of the shaft on the opposite side of the flange 2! is smoothsurfaced as shown at 23. Radially extending at equidistant points from the flange 2! are pins 24. These pins act as handle means whereby the shaft may be rotated. Secured on the threads of shaft portion 22 is an internally threaded bushin 25, one end of which is annularly flanged at 255. In the embodiment of the invention shown I provide preferably fill threads to the inch, as this gives me a one-half inch adjustment in either direction for the bridge, as hereinafter pointed out. I have also found that a quartcrdnch diameter shaft is very stable in the practice of the invention. I do not desire to confine my invention to any par ticular number of threads, nor shaft size, but make mention of a possible size as being one that has been found satisfactory.

Each foot and iii is bored, as indicated generally at to frictionally and tightly receive the bushing 25, the annular flange 26 resting on the top surface of each foot. The bore in the foot extends from t. e of the foot to-the bottom thereof. althovgh ti bore beneath the bushing is reduced in diamete". The base portion, and particularly the portions iii and ll of the bridge,

are bored as indicated 28 and'iii? to receive the smooth portion: of a shaft. The portions and 29 closely approximate the diameter of the smooth portion of. a --iaf-t fidso that there is considerable frictional engagement between said shaft portion and the wall bounding a bore. It is intended that thefr ction that exists between the wall bounding a bore in the bridge and the smooth portion of a shaft should be such as to cause considerable resistance to of the As'shown, the length ofthe shaft portion is such as to substantially fill the respective bores 28 and The'base portions of the bridge rest upon the topsurface of the annular flanges.

ill.

The operation, uses advantages of the invention are sis-follows:

One end one of the radial pins orarnis 24 i pa ed with a distinguishing color, such a a red. or yellow, at This provideswhat may be to index mark and will readily tell the i list how many turns he has made of the sha t, by not :ing the index mark with refer- .ce to baseline. For instance, the index in for both elevating means may point toward the instrumentalist when the instrumentallt is looking downwardly toward the bridge. He would the fore know that if he makes one complete reanution of the siaft he will have raised or lowered the bridge, depending upon the direction of. rotation, if the twenty-threads-per-inch shaft is lized. Quite obviously, any other thread pitch might utilized, and the adjust inent per: revolution of the shaft would be correspondi changed. I prefer, however, to allow for a one-half-inch adjustment of the bridge either up or down relative to the feet 9 and ill. Such a length of adjustment performs every function that the instrumentalist might desire, due to humidity or temperature change, which affect the strings, for practice work without uncluefatigue, or for actual playing before an audience. The instrumentalist, having adjusted the bridge to the proper height may tune the bass violin in the usual manner by turning the pegs on, the neck. i. Thereafter, by using the index mark oneach radial arm, adjustment of the shaft is effected by turning the shaft ineither direction to raise or lower the bridge relative to the feet. As previously stated, such raising or lowering does not noticeably affect thepitch- I claim:

1. In a device of the character disclosed, a bridge, a pair of feet adapted to rest on the deck of a bass violin, and an elevating means between each foot and said bridge; said elevating means in each instance having a shaft, one portion of which is threaded and a second portion of which is unthreaded, said bridge formed with bores to tightly receive the unthreaded portion of a shaft, and a threaded bushing positioned in each foot for receiving the threaded portion of a shaft.

2. In bass violin construction, a bridge over which the strings are passed, a pair of spaced feet resting on the deck of the bass violin, a pair of elevating means between said feet and said bridge for elevating 0r lowering the bridge relative to the feet, said elevating means including in each instance a shaft formed intermediate its length with an annular flange, a shaft portion on one side of said flange being threaded and a shaft portionv on the opposite side being smooth-surfaced, said bridge formed with bores for tightly engaging and receiving the smooth-surfaced ends of the shafts, threaded bushings secured to said feet, said threaded bushings receiving the threaded portions of the shafts and a radial pin ex tending from each shaft flange for turning said shafts.

3. In bass violin construction, a bridge over which the strings are passed, a pair of spaced feet resting on the deck of the bass violin, a pair of elevating means between said feet and said bridge for elevating or lowering the bridge relative to the feet, said elevating means including in each instance a shaft formed intermediate its length with an annular flange, the shaft portion on oneside of said flange being threaded and the shaft portion on the opposite side being smoothsurfaced; said bridge formed with bores for tightly engaging and receiving the smoothsurfaced. ends of the shafts, threaded bushings secured to said feet, said threaded bushings re ceiving the threaded portions of the shafts and a radial pin extending from each shaft flange for turning said shafts. said radial pin provided with indexing means to indicate the degree of turning of a shaft.

4:. In bass violin construction, a bridge over which the strings are passed, said bridge having a base portion and formed with bores extending inwardly of the bridge from said base portion, a pair of feet provided with bores, the said feet resting on the deck portion of the bass violin, with the bores in axial alignment with the bores of. the bridge, shafts for positioning between the bores of the feet and the bridge, each shaft formed with a smooth surface and with a threaded area, said smooth surface adapted to be re ceived within a bore of the bridge, and the diameter of a bore in the bridge and the diameter of the smooth surface of the shaft being substantially the same; threaded bushings for reception in the bores of said feet and for securing the threaded portion of each shaft, and an annular flange of each: shaft and positioned between the threaded and smooth surface thereof, the said flange engaging the bridge.

5. In bass violin construction a bridge over which the strings are passed, said bridge having a base portion. and formed with bores extending inwardly of the bridge from said base portion, a pair of feet provided with bores, the said feet resting on the deck portion of the bass violin, with the bores in axial alignment with the bores of the bridge, shafts for positioning between the 6 bores of the feet and the bridge, each shaft tending from the flanges whereby the shaft may formed with a smooth surface and with a threadbe rotated.

ed area, said smooth surface adapted to be received within a bore of the bridge, and the GEORGE VAN diameter of a bore in the bridge and the diameter 5 REFERENCES CITED of the smooth surface of the shaft being subm stanti'ally the same; threaded bushings for recepfOIIPWmg references are of record In the tion in the bores of said feet and for securing file of thls patent:

the threaded portion of each shaft, an annular flange on each shaft and positioned between the 10 UNITED STATES PATENTS threaded and smooth surface thereof, the said Number Name Date flange engaging the bridge, and radial arms ex- 1,365,839 MCHugh et J all 1921 

